Seniors lead Princeton past No. 10 Cornell in emotional Senior Night win

Saturday night at Hobey Baker Memorial Rink was about more than two points in the standings.

For the graduating class of Princeton’s men’s ice hockey program (15–11–2 overall, 11–8–1 ECAC), the Tigers’ 4–2 victory over No. 10 Cornell (18–8–1, 13–6–1) marked the culmination of years of work. The Orange and Black, particularly their senior class, built toward a moment like this: a meaningful home win in front of a packed crowd with postseason implications still ahead.

The evening began with a pregame ceremony honoring each graduating player, recognizing the nine seniors that helped shape Princeton’s identity over the past four years. And, once play began, the intensity matched the emotion in a fast-paced, back and forth battle.

Cornell struck first on a power play, but Princeton quickly responded with a breakaway goal from junior forward Joshua Karnish to even the score. Although the Big Red regained the lead later in the period, Princeton found yet another answer prior to intermission. With senior forward Brendan Gorman’s final goal at Baker, the teams entered the locker room tied 2–2 after an energetic first 20 minutes.

The turning point came midway through the second period during a Cornell advantage. Princeton disrupted the rush near center ice, creating a short-handed opportunity that resulted in the Tigers’ first lead of the night. This time, it was another senior forward David Jacobs who took the spotlight, energizing both the bench and the sold-out crowd, shifting momentum decisively toward the home team who now held a 3–2 lead.

Princeton extended its advantage in the third period when freshman forward Malcom Green won the race to a loose puck and scored his first collegiate goal, providing the Tigers with a critical insurance marker just as Cornell pushed to respond. The final minutes tested the Orange and Black’s composure as Cornell increased pressure with an extra attacker, but Princeton’s defensive structure held firm with junior goaltender Arthur Smith delivering a series of key saves, finishing with 26 stops, including 22 consecutive to close the game.

“That win was huge for the team and winning on senior night just made it that much more special,” senior forward Kevin Anderson told The Daily Princetonian. “It was a great turnout from the fans and we appreciate all the support we’ve been given all year. We are in a really tight race in the standings and we’ve really taken pride in defending home ice, so we are all pretty fired up about that win.”

For Anderson, the victory reflected a broader upward trajectory for the program during his time in Princeton.

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“I feel like we’ve been knocking on the door for the past few years and we’ve finally started to see some results from all of the hard work we have put in,” Anderson said to the ‘Prince.’ “The job is far from finished, but it has been an amazing group to be a part of and I think every guy on our team believes that we’ve got something special going on this year.”

That sense of steady improvement has defined the senior class’s legacy, as Princeton has developed one of the conference’s strongest home records this season. Players credit the leadership from upperclassmen for helping establish the culture behind that success.

Beyond wins and losses, Anderson emphasized that the daily experience with teammates stands out most from his time in the program.

“As cliché as it sounds, I think my favorite thing has been showing up and grinding every day with the guys,” he said. “I can’t stress how much I appreciate every single guy on the team. We battle and compete every day, and that’s something I’ve really enjoyed over the last four years.”

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For Princeton’s seniors, Saturday offered a lasting memory: finishing their home careers with a win in their final regular-season home appearance in the building they helped turn into one of the conference’s toughest environments. Now, however, the focus has quickly shifted to the postseason ahead.

Looking ahead, the Tigers will travel to Cambridge on Feb. 27 to face Harvard (13–13–2, 10–9–1) where they certainly look to mirror their strong senior night performance.

Chloe Lydia Li is a staff Sports writer for The Daily Princetonian. Her coverage spans multiple sports, including fencing, cross country, track & field, rowing, men’s ice hockey, and men’s swimming & diving. She can be reached at chloe.lydia[at]princeton.edu.

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com